Jalen Ngonda

On 3 October 2026 Jalen Ngonda will perform at SPOT/De Oosterpoort in Groningen. Raised in Silver Spring (Maryland) and later settled in Liverpool, he developed his sound in small venues and clubs. His set leans on the blueprint of sixties soul: prominent basslines, a relaxed to mid-tempo pace and the voice in front. At the same time he keeps the songs compact and melodic, with contemporary pop accents and a rhythm section that plays without frills.

Since his collaboration with New York’s Daptone Records he has released several singles and, in 2023, the album “Come Around and Love Me.” Live he moves from slow ballads to more propulsive numbers, with brass or strings here and there to color the arrangements. Not a retro act, but an artist who refreshes the codes of soul and rhythm-and-blues without abandoning their foundations. This concert in Groningen brings those worlds together: a direct vocal delivery, tight grooves and compact song forms honed on stage.